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Sunday, May 22, 2011

Mama Lucy is Thawing

Told you I had great news!!!

Yes, Mom had been coming out to eat and has let me get quite close to her for weeks now, but Thursday we had a breakthrough. I knew from various signs that she was out and about with her kittens when I wasn't there. But as soon as I'd come down she'd scoot under the bed. Yeah, she'd come out again and start rubbing around for food, but would always go back to her retreat when finished.

Thursday I came down the steps and stopped cold on the third from the bottom. There was lovely Lucy, in the middle of the floor, just looking up at me as if to say, "Well, are you coming down or what?" I moved slowly and quietly and walked right past her to the "kitchen" area and proceeded to fix their meal.

Friday, she did the same thing. And then, after dinner...

She quietly came around the back of the kennel and crouched and watched her kittens play on me. (I love that they use me as a living jungle gym!)

(Sorry again, these are all cell pics... I have a perfectly good camera - do I bring it down... of course not!)

After a bit, she relaxed enough to settle down into a more comfy position.

And then shocked the ever livin' crud out of me by coming over!!Now, in truth, this didn't last too long, but she walked right by me, no more than a foot away, to go back under the bed. I was dancing on air!!

And it wasn't a fluke! Saturday night she was once again in the middle of the room when I came down. I fixed the meal and when I did my usual, petting the kittens while they ate and putting a hand out close to her, she rubbed up against me!! Oh, happy day! She then repeated her lounging behavior, getting even more comfy this time:

And today was the same, so now this is "normal" behavior... yay!

And the really big news - Lucy has let me initiate contact and I've stroked her twice without her pulling away (or growling or hissing!). I have waited for her come close, so contact will be sort of natural, but prior to her rubbing up against me on Saturday, any "brushes" were met with pulling away or a hiss. I am just thrilled she's allowing me to touch her but am trying to keep a rein on my enthusiasm and let it come slowly and easily.

Have I mentioned the kittens are just getting into everything these days? They've discovered the stairs and rip tear up and down. Lessa has turned into the kennel climbing queen. Got this shot... can you spot all four of the rambunctious rascals?

And the top tier of the cat tree is no longer good enough for anything but naps now. The window sill is the place to be for our active foursome. They will race up the tree and play "king of the sill."

Sorry I didn't get any pics of Buddy today. He's sticking mostly to his bathroom and the carrier is definitely his preferred place. I can't blame the poor guy. It's only been a little over 24 hours since he was dumped in a strange lady's carrier, taken to a place where repeated indignities were visited on his person, put in a cold, tiled place (don't worry, I put plenty of bedding around but he no longer has his sunbeams) and left alone a lot. And he has got to be hurting physically.

He loves to be petted and purrs up a storm for me, though. He doesn't seem to like the main back basement room. I think it probably still smells of other cats and that makes him uncertain - I can scrub down the tile but I'm sure the chair and boxes and other stuff retain scents from my crew. I play with the kittens first 'cause I have to shed my clothes when I'm done with him... yesterday night he sniffed my pant leg and hissed! I'm sure the kittens would be pleased to know they are so intimidating!

I wish I could spend more time with him. About 2 1/2 hours today, but it's a Sunday. During the week it will probably only be an hour. I liked it much better when the quarantine suite was my den. He goes to see Doc Andrew on Tuesday and I'll have more to report then!

I had to laugh when you said Buddy hissed at your pants. Clementine does this frequently. She seems to particularly resent my Crocs, maybe because one of the permanent residents tends to drag them around.

I don't know how you manage with so many inmates, even with just one foster I felt like I could never spend enough time with her.

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